News 15:00

BULLETIN 22 April 3 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Controversy over the ongoing 408-million-rand taxi relief payments
# Tennis: Rafael Nadal says he doesn’t miss the sport after giving it his all
# And the Pope will be buried on Saturday

# Build One South Africa leader Mmusi Maimane has questioned the transparency for the continued payments of the Covid-19 relief funds to the taxi industry. A sum of 408-million-rand is allocated in the 2025/26 budget. This once-off gratuity aims to assist the remaining 53-thousand-407 qualifying operators yet to receive support. BOSA spokesperson Roger Solomons has highlighted concerns over accountability and the prioritisation of public funds during economic hardship:

# The DA in Gauteng has criticised the provincial Department of Social Development over 1.3-billion-rand in irregular expenditure, with 210-million-rand incurred between April and December last year. The DA’s Alan Fuchs attributes this to legislative non-compliance, leading to the closure of non-profit-organisations and depriving vulnerable residents of essential services. He calls for an inquiry into the department’s failures and the release of pending forensic reports:

# More than hundred US universities and colleges, including Ivy League institutions Princeton and Brown, issued a joint letter today condemning president Donald Trump’s political interference in the education system. This comes a day after Harvard sued the Trump administration, which has threatened to cut funding and impose outside political supervision. Trump has sought to bring several prestigious universities to heel over claims they tolerated campus anti-Semitism, threatening their budgets, tax-exempt status and the enrolment of foreign students.

# Tennis: Twenty-two-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal says he doesn’t miss the sport since his retirement in November. The 38-year-old Spaniard was honoured with the Sporting Icon Award at the Laureus World Sport Awards in Madrid. Nadal says he finished his career on a happy note, but would’ve carried on if it was possible, because he loved it. He says he finished with peace of mind knowing he had given it his all, and succeeded in closing that chapter.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-63-cents and the euro at 21-rand-41-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand-92-cents and Bitcoin trades at 88-thousand-569-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-458-dollars-65-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 66-dollars-16-cents a barrel.

# And finally: The Vatican has announced Pope Francis’s funeral will be held on Saturday, as world leaders, from US president Donald Trump to Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky, said they would attend to honour the Catholic leader. His funeral service, which is expected to draw huge crowds, will take place in the square in front of St Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican. The pontiff’s coffin, which he previously ordered should be of wood and zinc, will then be taken inside the church and from there to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore for burial.

Stay tuned for more news………….